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Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Poems Workbook Answers Chapter 7 I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

November 10, 2023May 20, 2022 by Raju

Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Poems Workbook Answers Chapter 7 I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings – ICSE Class 10, 9 English

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Comprehension Passages

Stanza 1

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Explain with reference to the context.
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ written by Mary Angelou. The theme of the poem is the suffering of African- Americans and the contrast of slavery versus freedom. Maya Angelou’s 1983 poem “Caged Bird” compares the plight of a caged bird to the flight of a free bird. Many readers have interpreted Angelou’s poem as an extended metaphor with the caged bird representing the historical struggles of African Americans.

In these lines the poet refers to nature. She describes the way “a free bird leaps on the back of the wind”. She describes the bird’s flight against the orange sky. The free bird has the right “to claim the sky”. The way she describes the “orange sun rays” gives the reader an appreciation for the natural beauty of the sky, and her description of the way the bird “dips his wing” helps the reader to appreciate the bird in his natural habitat, enjoying his freedom.

Question 2.
What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him?
Answer:
It reveals that he is unhappy and wants to be free.

Question 3.
Which birds are used to describe the state of the free bird?
Answer:
The words used are leaps, floats, dares and claims.

Stanza 2

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to the context.
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ written by Mary Angelou. The theme of the poem is the suffering of African- Americans and the contrast of slavery versus freedom. Maya Angelou’s 1983 poem “Caged Bird” compares the plight of a caged bird to the flight of a free bird. Many readers have interpreted Angelou’s poem as an extended metaphor with the caged bird representing the historical struggles of African Americans.

This stanza is in stark contrast with the first. By using the word “but” to begin this stanza, the speaker prepares the reader for this contrast. Then she describes the “bird that stalks his narrow cage”. The tone is immediately and drastically changed from peaceful, satisfied, and joyful to one that is dark, unnerving, and even frustrating. She describes that this caged first “can seldom see through his bars of rage”. While the free bird gets to enjoy the full sky, the caged bird rarely even gets a glimpse of the sky. She claims that “his wings are clipped and his feet are tied”. Text from her autobiography reveals that Angelou often felt this way in life. She felt restricted from enjoying the freedom that should have been her right as a human being. The speaker then reveals that these are the very reasons that the bird “opens his throat to sing”. The author felt this way in her own life. She wrote and sang and danced because it was her way of expressing her longing for freedom.

Question 2.
What docs the word “clipped” mean in this poem?
Answer:
Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” is full of avian metaphors and imagery. The poem itself is a metaphor for the limitations one experiences in a life of oppression. “Caged Bird”. draws from Angelou’s own experiences as a Black woman in the racially-segregated United States following the Civil War and even beyond the Civil Rights Movement. To this day, many Black Americans face limitations based on a systemic cycle of racial oppression which prevents class mobility. In talking of birds, “clipping” involves trimming a bird’s wing feathers so that they cannot fly. Some bird owners or caretakers trim just one wing or enough feathers on each side, so as to render the bird unstable in flight but leaving them able to glide for a short distance. In Angelou’s poem the bird longs for freedom but is restricted as not only is it caged but its wings are also clipped.

Question 3.
Why does the caged bird sing?
Answer:
The caged bird sings because it is the only way it knows to express itself.

Stanza 3

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Explain with reference to the context.
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ written by Mary Angelou. The theme of the poem is the suffering of African- Americans and the contrast of slavery versus freedom. Maya Angelou’s 1983 poem “Caged Bird” compares the plight of a caged bird to the flight of a free bird. Many readers have interpreted Angelou’s poem as an extended metaphor with the caged bird representing the historical struggles of African Americans.

The third stanza reverts back to the free bird, further cementing the difference between the free bird and the caged bird in the minds of the readers. She writes that a “free bird thinks of another breeze” that he can enjoy the “sighing trees” and be free to find his own food. The tone with which she writes the first and third stanzas sharply contrasts with the second stanza. The first and third stanzas give the reader a sense of ecstasy and thrill, which serve to make the second stanza seem all the more oppressive.

Question 2.
According to the poem, how can the free bird be best described ?
Answer:
The free bird is free to do what he pleases and so he is happy and content.

Question 3.
What is meant by “free bird thinks of another breeze”?
Answer:
The poet wants to show the freedom which the free bird has. It can soar in the skies to various places , wherever it wants to go to find its food and enjoy the breeze.

Stanza 4

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

The fourth stanza continues the parallel between the free bird and the caged bird. The first line serves to starkly contrast the last line in the third stanza. It is dark and daunting. The reality of the life of the caged bird is revealed in this line. That bird, “stands on the grave of dreams”. This reveals the author’s feelings about her own dreams. She has so many dreams that have died because she was never given the freedom to achieve all that her white counterparts were able to achieve. Discrimination and Racism made up her cage, and although she sang, she felt her voice was not heard in the wide world, but only by those nearest her cage. The second line of this stanza in not only dark, but even frightening. The speaker describes the bird’s cries as “shouts on a nightmare scream”. At this point, the caged bird is so despondent in his life of captivity that his screams are like that of someone having a nightmare.
The author then repeats these lines:

His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

Maya Angelou’s 1983 poem “Caged Bird” compares the plight of a caged bird to the flight of a free bird.- Many readers have interpreted Angelou’s poem as an extended metaphor with the caged bird representing the historical struggles of African Americans.

Reaffirming the idea that the bird opens his mouth to sing because his desire for freedom and his desire to express himself cannot be contained.

Question 2.
What does the line “and his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream” mean?
Answer:
The line describes the caged bird who “stands on the grave of dreams/ his shadow shouts
on a nightmare scream.” The grave of dreams can refer to a person who has given up on his dreams. The shadow, rather than the bird itself, shouts, revealing a sense of powerlessness, for who would hear the shout of a shadow? This contrasts with the free bird described in the previous stanza who boldly “names the sky his own.”

The caged bird’s “nightmare scream” gives an otherworldly sense that, again, the cry will not be heard. The words “shadow” and “nightmare” evoke a dark outlook, where only the bird’s shadow or nightmares may escape the confines of the cage. The speaker, describes the bird’s cries as “shouts on a nightmare scream”. At this point, the caged bird is so despondent in his life of captivity that his screams are like that of someone having a nightmare.

Question 3.
What is the main conflict in this poem?
Answer:
The main conflict is that the caged bird wants the life of the free bird. The caged bird also wants the freedom to do whatever he wants.

Stanza 5

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

This last stanza focuses on the caged bird yet again. The author implies that even though the caged bird may have never experienced true freedom, deep down that bird still knows that it was created to be free. Although freedom, to the caged bird, is “fearful” because it is “unknown”, he still sings “a fearful trill” because he still longs for freedom. Here, the speaker reveals that his cry for freedom is “heard on the distant hill”. The last line states, “For the caged bird sings of freedom”. With this, the speaker implies that although the caged bird may never have experienced freedom, he still sings of it because he was created for freedom. This is paralleled to the African American struggle in Maya Angelou’s time. She feels that black Americans wrote and sang and danced and cried out for the freedom they deserved, but they were only heard as a distant voice. Yet, this would not stop them from crying out for freedom and equality because they knew they were made for freedom, and they would not relent until they were given their rights as human beings to enjoy the freedom they were created to enjoy.

Question 2.
What parallel can be drawn to the poet’s feelings and that of the caged bird?
Answer:
The line “For the caged bird sings of freedom” parallels to the author and her cry for freedom in the form of equality. She feels that her cries are heard, but only as a soft background noise. She still feels that she is caged and that although she sings, her cries are heard only as a distant noise. And because of being discriminated she is restricted and cannot realise many of her dreams.

Question 3.
Explain, ‘stands on the grave of dreams / his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream’.
Answer:
The grave of dreams can refer to a person who has given up on his dreams. The shadow, rather than the bird itself, shouts, revealing a sense of powerlessness, for who would hear the shout of a shadow? This contrasts with the free bird described in the previous stanza who boldly “names the sky his own.” The caged bird’s “nightmare scream” gives an otherworldly sense that, again, the cry will not be heard. The words “shadow” and “nightmare” evoke a dark outlook, where only the bird’s shadow or nightmares may escape the confines of the cage.

Project

Question 1.
Is there repetition used in the poem? Why?
Answer:
Repetition is a technique used to draw a person’s attention to a certain idea. Think about school. If a teacher wants to get her point across, is she going to say it once? No. She is going to repeat it multiple times so it begins to sink in. The same works with poetry. While the use of repetition doesn’t necessarily mean a poem is wonderful, it does help it to stand out. Sometimes a little repetition goes a long way. But too much repetition can make the poem boring to read, so it’s a delicate balance. This technique can be used in a variety of ways:

A word is repeated throughout the poem.
A phrase is repeated.
An entire line is repeated.

Question 2.
What does the word “clipped” mean in this poem?
Answer:
Maya Angelou’s poem is replete with avian metaphors and imagery. The poem itself is a metaphor for the limitations one experiences in a life of oppression. Angelou has drawn from her own own experiences as a Black woman in the racially-segregated United States following the Civil War. In talking of birds, “clipping” involves trimming a bird’s wing feathers so that they cannot fly. Some bird owners or caretakers trim just one wing or enough feathers on each side, so as to render the bird unstable in flight but leaving them to be able to glide for a short distance. In Angelou’s poem, she uses the word “clipped” as a metaphor for the systemic forms of oppression. Being “clipped” in society on the basis of race (or other identities) prevents an individual from ever testing their capability for success. Historically, Black Americans have been denied access to schooling and certain kinds of work, and even today it is not uncommon for Black Americans to be turned down for jobs on the basis of their appearance. To be “clipped,” as Angelou implies, is to never be given a chance for success in life.

Question 3.
What docs the line “and his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream” mean?
Answer:
Maya Angelou’s poem compares the plight of a caged bird to the flight of a free bird. Angelou’s poem can be interprets an extended metaphor with reference to the caged bird.

Question 4.
Who and what does the free bird symbolize?
Answer:
In Maya Angelou’s poem a juxtaposition is provided of a free bird’s life with that of a caged bird. The free bird symbolizes people who live in this world unencumbered by prejudice of any type whether it be racial, socioeconomic, or psychological.

The free bird has the opportunity to move through life soaking in its abundance. The people who are afforded this freedom, forge through life making their own decisions and choices. “The sky is the limit” for those who are free; those who do not face oppression. Without worrying about restrictions, the free bird is able to experience life as an enjoyable adventure. The people represented by the free bird are able to think of the mundane things in life, instead of battling for survival.

Question 5.
What is the message of Maya Angelou’s poem?
Answer:
Angelou’s poem uses metaphor and juxtaposition to express the idea that freedom is a natural state and knowledge of this fact cannot be undone by any amount of oppression, „ imprisonment or limitation of opportunity. Oppressed people suffer psychologically and emotionally, the poem suggests, but never loses sight of the inverse of that suffering. In the poem, the free bird has power and “names the sky his own” while acting on inborn impulses to fly and float on the sky. The language and imagery surrounding the free bird is soft and also indicative of authority, innate rights and self-ownership.

Contrasted to the free bird, the caged bird is associated with darkness, pain, and fear. Reduced to an unnatural and lesser version of itself than the free bird, the caged bird cannot fly yet retains the desire to be free and to find self-expression (and, also, to claim self-ownership).

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The message of the poem then is largely related to the emotional and psychological effects of being oppressed and removed from the possibility of self-determination. The means of oppression and delimitation are only given metaphorical explanation in the poem and are not connected to social or political realities outside of the poem.But the deeply felt difference between being powerfully free or being oppressed and caged is expressed in varied ways

Angelou deals with a sense of limitation, separation and marginalization through the metaphor of the bird in a cage. Importantly, her poem suggests that the desire to be free will always be expressed, despite circumstances that might quell the spirit. There is an innate understanding of what it means to be alive that translates into a demand or an unquenchable impulse to see oneself in an open sky of one’s own.

Question 6.
Explain what is imagery in a poem. Flow has Angelou used it in the poem?
Answer:
When an poet creates imagery, he or she uses words that create a mental picture in the reader’s mind. Only sensory words can create mental images; therefore, imagery concerns any words or phrases that pertain to the five senses: touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell. Maya Angelou’s poem is certainly full of imagery in every line and every stanza.

The very first image we see is that of a “free bird” leaping on the “back of the w ind.” Since we can literally see a bird in nature leaping, jumping, or flying against the wind, we can see how this counts as a sight image. Other images we see are that of the bird floating “downstream” and dipping its wing “in the orange sun rays.” Since the poet is now speaking of a bird in relation to a stream, we get the sense she is speaking of a waterfowl, like a duck. Plus, since we can literally see things floating downstream we know that the phrase “floats downstream” counts as a sight image. In addition, though a bird will not literally dip its wings into the rays of the sun, we know that the sun’s rays reflect on surfaces of water. Hence, based on the final couple of lines in the first stanza, we can picture the bird literally dipping its wings into the image of the sun reflected on the water and then flying off into the sky. Since w’e can literally see a bird doing such things in nature, we know that these count as sight images as well.

The sight images of the bird free in nature stand in great contrast to the sight images of a bird held captive in a cage in the next stanza. The juxtaposition of images of free and caged birds help to illustrate her themes concerning the effects of captivity, such as slavery.

Question 7.
What are the fears of the caged bird? Answer with examples from Maya Angelou’s poem.
Answer:
The “caged bird” stands for none other than the oppressed blacks. Devoid of liberty and basic human rights, the blacks have led hellish lives, full of pains and sufferings, for centuries. Its song of freedom demonstrates the rage and optimism of the blacks that toughen them to endure. Although the caged bird “sings of freedom”, she sings “with a fearful trill”.The dream of liberty has been seen by the blacks for ages. The poet’s uncountable ancestors have spent their whole lives hoping to see the light of freedom. This discomforting sense of undergoing persecution for years is well evoked in the following lines:

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

The blacks’ dream of liberty is very old. Despite their continued struggle, they have suffered defeat and frustrations repeatedly.
Thus, the caged bird’s fear is about the uncertainty of achieving freedom in the future. Its fears reflect those of the blacks who no more wish to go through the pains of racism, discrimination and bestial treatment at the hands of the whites. The blacks are scared of the darkness hanging over the lives of their offspring.
The word “nightmare” is suggestive of the blacks’ unspeakable suffering and “scream” reflects their expression of agony.

Question 8.
Why does the caged bird stand on the “grave of dreams?”
Answer:
Maya Angelou creates a vivid image with the line “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams.” This is a death image. The hopes and dreams of a whole race of people are dead.
Angelou uses the images of a free bird and a caged bird to compare the lives of those who are free to create their own destiny, and those who are oppressed based on their race. Those who are oppressed have hopes and dreams but they are unattainable not because the people are incapable, but because they are born as people of color. She goes on to say that the bird, representing the oppressed people, lives with its feet “tied” and wings “clipped,” which renders it devoid of choices to better its situation. In spite of the dire circumstances, the bird chooses to sing. In other words, its spirit will not be broken.

Question 9.
How is the theme of self-awareness shown in the poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou?
Answer:
The theme of self-awareness is shown in the poem when the poet highlights how this bird has a rage within itself. This rage is because this caged bird senses it is missing out on a freedom that other birds and living creatures know. This bird “.stalks down his narrow cage.” This “stalking” alludes to the fact that the bird is prowling for release from his restricted way of life.This bird is self-aware that it is living in an unnatural environment. To this caged bird the bars of the cage are “bars of rage.” In addition, self-awareness is conveyed by the fact that this bird makes a bold effort to sing. Because its wings and feet are restricted (due to clipping and tying), its only recourse to let anyone know of its desire to be free is to sing.The bird sings to let anyone who will listen that it is straining for freedom. Self-awareness here (the bird understanding its plight) is shown by the fact that the bird longs for something that is unknown. It desires this unknown that is out there because it senses that the unknown is better than being caged and, in essence, a slave to its man-made environment, where it cannot spread its wings and soar.

This feeling of being ‘caged in’ can be extended to the human condition as well. Many people feel trapped in their respective life situations. They long to be free of poverty, sickness, addictions, dead-end jobs, bad relationships, destructive behavior and more. Every day, many people are crying out, through their words and actions, for some kind of release from their burdensome stations in life, where they feel caged and unable to realize their dreams. They are self-aware, as this bird is, that there is a better way of life that must be fought for, even though this better way of living can be elusive.

Question 10.
What arc the poetic devices used in Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird”?
Answer:
Maya Angelou uses a myriad of poetic devices in the poem, including metaphor, rhyme, imagery, alliteration, personification, and repetition.In the poem, Angelou employs these poetic devices to contrast a free bird with a bird who is confined to a cage; the two different birds serve as metaphors for people free from oppression and people who are oppressed by society, respectively. Considering Angelou’s personal history and the themes of her autobiographies, the caged bird, more explicitly, is a metaphor for African-Americans who experienced racism and discrimination through slavery. Like the caged bird in the poem, African- Americans were physically confined or restricted due to slavery and segregation, but they still vocally demanded their freedom.

In addition to using metaphor, Angelou utilizes repetition to reinforce the idea that African Americans cried out for freedom from oppression even in the bleakest of times when their oppressors did not want to “hear” them. Angelou repeats the third and fifth (final) stanzas, with the caged bird singing for freedom:

The caged bird sings/with fearful trill/of things unknown/but longed for still/and his tune is heard/on the distant hill/for the caged bird/sings of freedom.

In the above quotation, the end rhyme in the second, fourth, and sixth lines with “trill,” “still,” and “hill.” We also find end rhyme as well as alliteration in the second stanza of the poem, when Angelou describes how the caged bird is physically confined. In the second stanza, the caged bird is in “his narrow cage” and “can seldom see through/his bars of rage” (“seldom see” forms the alliteration, while “cage” and “rage” form the end rhyme).

Finally, there is vivid imagery in the first stanza when the free bird “dips his wing/ in the orange sun rays” and personification and alliteration in the fourth stanza when the caged bird’s “shadow shouts on a nightmare scream.” In this example from the fourth stanza, note the repetition of the consonant “s” and giving the caged bird’s shadow the human quality of shouting, which emphasizes the bird’s nightmarish existence living in confinement.

Question 11.
What do you like about this poem?
Answer:
This question is asking for an opinion about Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird.” This means you have to assess and analyze the poem to determine what you find appealing about it.
Personally, I enjoy Angelou’s use of vivid imagery when describing the free bird and the caged bird. When I read her descriptions of the birds, I can feel the carefree freedom of the free bird as it soars through the air. On the other hand, I can feel the desperation of the caged bird as it paces with clipped wings in its cage. Because Maya Angelou is so masterful in her descriptions, I experience the breeze as the free bird “leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream.” When the caged bird sings, in spite of its circumstances, I identify with its song, “for the caged bird sings of freedom.” The imagery evokes emotions within me.
Others might like the lyrical writing, or the message of the poem.

Question 12.
What is the implied meaning of “his bars of rage” in the poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”?
Answer:
The poet is creating the image of a bird held in a barred cage which is in opposition to a bird flying free that she describes in the first stanza. The bird is “stalking” around in that cage which connotes anger and frustration. It is blinded by that “rage” and understands that there is no escape from its bars of incarceration. The bird cannot visualize what the free bird can because it is caged with pent up anger. The “bars of rage” are a metaphor for the feelings of people who are bound by slavery, ignorance, and prejudice. Ms. Angelou goes on to explain that the bird cannot obtain its freedom but it chooses to express itself joyously implying that although it maybe be angry and unable to break those bonds, it will not be silenced.

Question 13.
In “Caged Bird,” what does the line “and his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream” mean?
Answer:
Maya Angelou’s 1983 poem “Caged Bird” compares the plight of a caged bird to the flight of a free bird. Many readers have interpreted Angelou’s poem as an extended metaphor with the caged bird representing the historical struggles of African Americans.

The line above is in the 5th stanza, which describes the caged bird who “stands on the grave of dreams/ his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream/ his wings are clipped and his feet are tied/ so he opens his throat to sing.” The grave of dreams can refer to a person who has given up on his dreams. The shadow, rather than the bird itself, shouts, revealing a sense of powerlessness, for who would hear the shout of a shadow? This contrasts with the free bird described in the previous stanza who boldly “names the sky his own.”

Extra Questions

Question 1.
How does the poet describe the world of nature?
Answer:
The poet uses various images to describe nature. She presents the image of a “free bird” leaping on the “back of the wind.” Since we can literally see a bird in nature leaping,jumping,or flying against the wind. Then she she writes of the bird floating “downstream and dipping its wing “in the orange sun rays.” Since the poet is now speaking of a bird in relation to a stream, we get the sense she is speaking of a waterfowl, like a duck. Plus, we can literally see the bird floating downstream. In addition, though a bird will not literally dip its wings into the rays of the sun, we know that the sun’s rays reflect on surfaces of water. Hence, based on the final couple of lines in the first stanza, we can picture the bird literally dipping its wings into the image of the sun reflected on the water and then flying off into the sky. Thus, the poet gives us beautiful sight images of nature.

Question 2.
What is the symbolic significance of the sun, sky and wind in the first stanza?
Answer:
The sun, sky and wind symbolically signify open spaces and skies or n other words freedom.

Question 3.
What is the free bird metaphor for.
Answer:
In Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” she provides a juxtaposition a free bird’s life with that of a caged bird. The free bird symbolizes people who live in this world unencumbered by prejudice of any type whether it be racial, socioeconomic, or psychological.

Question 4.
What is the encaged bird fearful of ?
Answer:
The “caged bird” stands for none other than the oppressed blacks. Devoid of liberty and basic human rights, the blacks have led hellish lives, full of pains and sufferings, for centuries. Its song of freedom demonstrates the rage and optimism of the blacks that toughen them to endure. Although the caged bird “sings of freedom, ” she sings “with a fearful trill. ” The dream of liberty has been seen by the blacks for ages. The poet’s uncountable ancestors have spent their whole lives hoping to see the light of freedom. This discomforting sense of undergoing persecution for years is well evoked in the following lines:

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

The blacks’ dream of liberty is very old. Despite their continued struggle, they have suffered defeat and frustrations repeatedly.Thus, the caged bird’s fear is about the uncertainty of achieving freedom in the future. Its fears reflect those of the blacks who no more wish to go through the pains of racism, discrimination and bestial treatment at the hands of the whites. The blacks are scared of the darkness hanging over the lives of their offspring.The word “nightmare” is suggestive of the blacks’ unspeakable suffering and “scream” reflects their expression of agony.

Question 5.
His tune is heard on the distant hill’. Explain
Answer:
The author implies that even though the caged bird may have never experienced true freedom, deep down that bird still knows that it was created to be free. Although freedom, to the caged bird, is “fearful” because it is “unknown”, he still sings “a fearful trill” because he still longs for freedom. Here, the speaker reveals that his cry for freedom is “heard on the distant hill”. The last line states, “For the caged bird sings of freedom”. This is paralleled to the African American struggle in Maya Angelou’s time. She feels that black Americans wrote and sang and danced and cried out for the freedom they deserved, but they were only heard as a distant voice. Yet, this would not stop them from crying out for freedom and equality because they knew they were made for freedom, and they would not relent until they were given their rights as human beings to enjoy the freedom they were created to enjoy.

Question 6.
How is the theme of self-awareness shown in the poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou?
Answer:
The theme of self-awareness is shown in the poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou in that the poet highlights how this bird has a rage within itself. This rage is because this caged bird senses it is missing out on a freedom that other birds and living creatures know. This bird “…stalks down his narrow cage.” This “stalking” alludes to the fact that the bird is prowling for release from his restricted way of life.This bird is self-aware that it is living in an unnatural environment. To this caged bird the bars of the cage are “bars of rage.” In addition, self-awareness is conveyed by the fact that this bird makes a bold effort to sing. Because its wings and feet are restricted (due to clipping and tying), its only recourse to let anyone know of its desire to be free is to sing. The bird sings to let anyone who will listen know that it is straining for freedom. Self-awareness here (the bird understanding its plight) is shown by the fact that the bird longs for something that is unknown. It desires this unknown that is out there because it senses that the unknown is better than being caged and, in essence, a slave to its man-made environment, where it cannot spread its wings and soar.

Question 7.
What do ‘trade winds’ and ‘fat worms’ symbolise?
Answer:
Trade winds symbolise the freedom of movement, the free will of the free bird to go anywhere it pleases unlike the caged bird who is restricted behind the bars of its cage. Fat worms symbolise the freedom to choose what it wants to eat by going anywhere it wants which is denied to the caged bird. The caged bird is restricted and discriminated and cannot exercise free will even for the most ordinary things.

Question 8.
How does the poet use the contrast between the two birds to reveal racism in America?
Answer:
Angelou celebrate her survival and that of all African Americans in oppression. In the poem “Caged Bird” are two traditional literary themes: reversal of fortune and survival of the unfittest. By presenting the free bird before depicting the caged bird, Angelou helps the reader visualize what the caged bird must have been like before its capture; the description of the two contrasting environments helps the reader feel the sense of loss of the captured bird because of its reversed fate. Even with its clipped wings, tied feet, narrow quarters, and bars of rage, however, the fragile, caged bird is still able to survive and to soar again through its song; this imprisoned bird truly epitomizes the survival of the unfittest, the major theme in the verse.

These contrasting environments—the freedom of the open world and the restrictive surroundings of the caged bird—create the setting for the poem. The reader can feel the breeze, see the sun, imagine the rich feast of fat worms, and hear the sighing trees of the world of the free creature; in contrast, the reader feels the fear and restricted movement, sees the bars, imagines the wants of the oppressed. Racism and discrimination bound the Africans and they were not free to realise their aspirations. Many readers have interpreted Angelou’s poem as an extended metaphor with the caged bird representing the historical struggles of African Americans. The poem expresses the emotional and psychological effects of being oppressed and removed from the possibility of self determination due to racism in American society.

For More Resources

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – The Age of the Guptas

November 10, 2023May 20, 2022 by Raju

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – The Age of the Guptas

ICSE Solutions Selina ICSE Solutions ML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

Question 1.
Name one literary and another archaeological source to reconstruct the Age of the Gupta’s.
Answer:

Literary Source: Fa-hein visit to India.
Archaeological Source: Allahabad Pillar Inscriptions.

Question 2.
Name the famous Inscription that tells us about the character and military achievements of Samudragupta.
Answer:
Allahabad Pillar Inscription

Question 3.
Which great conquest enabled Chandragupta II to carry the title of Sakari ?
Answer:
The Conquest of Gujarat and Kathiawar peninsula dominated by the Saka power, enabled Chandragupta II to carry the title of Sakari.

Question 4.
Who was Fa-hien ? What is the title of the book that he wrote about India ?
Answer:
Fa-hien was a Chinese pilgrim, who traveled all over India for more than 13 years. The title of the book that he wrote about India was, Fo-Kwo-Ki (The Travels of Fa-hien).

Question 5.
What did Fa-hien write about the City of Pataliputra ?
Answer:
Fa-hien wrote about the City of Pataliputra that the City had two grand monasteries-one of the Hinayana and other of the Mahayana. He noticed the usual grandeur of Ashoka’s Palace as such. People living there, were quite prosper by all means. There w^:as an excellent hospital run by the wealthy citizens of the town. Rest-houses existed in large towns and on highways for the comforts of the travelers. The relations between the followers of various sects w’ere cordial. The people were honest and law-abiding. No uneven restrictions were imposed on them to move about anywhere in the City The criminal law was mild. Capital punishment was out of practice.

PQ. Which Gupta ruler defeated the Hunas ?
Answer: Skandagupta defeated the Hunas.

Question 6.
What does Fa-hien write about the life of the people during the Gupta age?
Answer:
Fa-hien writes that the bulk of the population during the Gupta age was vegetarian and usually followed the principle of Ahimsa (non-violence)
The caste-system prevailed and untouch ability had become an established institution in this age. The Chandalas occupied the lowest rank in society. They were outcasts and lived away from the people. They did menial jobs. When they approached a city or a market, they had to strike a piece of wood, so that others might avoid coming in contact with them.
Slavery also existed, although the Brahmins could not be owned as slaves. Women were educated in fine arts and domestic virtues. Widow-remarriage was viewed with disfavor. The practice of Devadasi was prevalent. In other words, some girls were being maintained to many temples for the service of Gods.

Question 7.
Who was the greatest literary genius of the Gupta period?
Answer:
Kalidasa was the greatest literary genius of the Gupta period.

Question 8.
Name two dramas and two epics written by Kalidasa.
Answer:
Malavikagnimitra and Vikramorvasiya are the two dramas written by Kalidasa. The two epics are—Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava.

Question 9.
Mention the contributions of Aryabhatta in the field of astronomy.
Answer:
Aryabhatta was the first Indian astronomer to declare that the earth is spherical in shape and he proved that the earth revolves around the sun on its own axis.

Question 10.
Name the famous astronomer of the Gupta period after whom an Indian Satellite was named.
Answer:
Aryabhatta.

Question 11.
Mention the important contributions of Varahamihira.
Answer:
Varahamihira was a great scientist of the Gupta age, he wrote Brihat Samhita which deals with Astronomy, Mathematics, Botany and Physical Geography. He also wrote a famous book on different branches of Jyotishastra and another work Pancha Siddhantika, giving an account of the five systems of Astronomy.

Question 12.
Mention two famous temples of the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Dasavatara Temple, also known as Vishnu Temple, at Deogarh near Jhansi, and Bhitargaon Temple near Kanpur.

Question 13.
Metion two important architectural features of the Dasavatara (Vishnu) Temple at Deogarh.
Answer:
The Temple stands on a wide basement with a flight of steps in the middle of each side. It had a spire and its roof was supported by pillars.

Question 14.
The Provincial Governors during the reign of the Gupta were called by which names ?
Answer:
The provincial governors were usually the princes of royal blood. As governors, they were called Uparika Maharaja or Pradeshikas.

Question 15.
The Districts (Vishyas) were placed under whose charge during the rule of Guptas ?
Answer:
A Bhukti was divided into districts called Vishyas, which were ruled by Vishayapatis or Ayuktas. They were usually appointed by the Provincial Governor. Many other persons had position of authority in the district administration. They were Prathamkayastlia who wrote letters and documents, Pushtapal, the keeper of records and Nagarshresthi, that is, the Chief Banker.

Question 16.
Mention an important cause for the revival of Brahmanical religion in the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Gupta monarchs were staunch supporters of Brahmanism, they gave a strong impetus to the restoration and enhancement of their religion.

Question 17.
What is the importance of Panchatantra?
Answer:
It is a collection of stories which intended to teach moral lessons to children.

Question 18.
Name three important sciences which made great progress during the Gupta period.
Answer:
Astronomy, mathematics and medicine.

Question 19.
Mention the famous work on medicine written by Vriddha-Vagabhatta.
Answer:
Ashtang Sangrah.

Question 20.
Which Gupta ruler defeated the Hunas?
Answer:
Skandagupta defeated the Hunas.

Question 21.
Mention two pieces of evidence to show that the art of Sculpture excelled during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The statue of the Standing Buddha discovered at Mathura and the figure of the Great Boar done in relief at the entrance of the Cave at Udayagiri are the two pieces of evidence that show that the art of Sculpture excelled during the Gupta period.

Question 22.
What is known as Frescoes ?
Ans.
The paintings done on the walls are called Frescoes.

Question 23.
Mention two places famous for the art of painting during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra State and the Bagh Caves near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

Question 24.
Mention two important features of the paintings at Ajanta.
Answer:
Two important features of the paintings at Ajanta are as follows:

The rock walls were first plastered with a thick coating of clay, mixed with straw, gypsum and other materials. Then a thin layer of lime-plaster was applied to produce a glazed surface for making the painting more effective.
On the glazed surface of the wall the outlines of the figures were drawn first. The artists used water colours.

Question 25.
Name the Chinese pilgrim who studied at the Nalanda University.
Answer:
Hiuen-Tsang was the Chinese pilgrim who studied at the Nalanda University.

Question 26.
Mention the extent of King Harsha’s empire.
Answer:
The extent of King Harsha’s empire included

Eastern Punjab
Kanauj (Uttar Pradesh)
Magadha (Bihar)
Bengal
Orissa.

Question 27.
How can we say that Harshavardhana w as a patron of learning ?
Answer:
Matang Diwakar was the court-poet to Harshavardhana. His patronage to authors like—Banabhatta, who wrote Harshcharita, and Mayur, who wrote Suryashataka, shows his interest in literature. Harsha himself was a scholar and an author of three plays—Ratnavali, Nagananda and Priyadarshika. Nalanda University was patronised by Harshavardhana.

Question 28.
Who wrote Harshcharita ?
Answer:
Banabhatta wrote Harshcharita.

Question 29.
Where was the Fifth Buddhist Assembly held ? Who presided over the Assembly’s deliberations ?
Answer:
The Fifth Buddhist Assembly was held at Kanauj, Hiuen-Tsang presided over the Assembly’s deliberations.

Question 30.
Mention the main conquests of Pulakesin II.
Answer:
Pulakesin II, ruled, from 608 AD to 642 AD. He conquered northern Konkan and the Gujarat ahd Malwa regions.

Question 31.
Whose reign marks the climax of the Pallava power ?
Answer:
The reign of Narasimhavarman marks the climax of the Pallava power.

Question 32.
Mention the main conquests of the Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman.
Answer:
Narasimhavarman conquered the Chalukya’s Capital Badami and occupied it. He defeated Cholas, the Cheras and the

Question 33.
Name the Inscription that refers to the achievements of King Kharvela of Kalinga.
Answer:
The Hathigumpha Inscription on the Udayagiri hills, near Bhubaneshwar in Orrissa.

Question 34.
Who converted Kanishka to Buddhism ?
Answer:
A Buddhist monk Asvaghosa converted Kanishka to Buddhism.

Question 35.
Name the two sects into which Buddhism got split during Kanishka’s reign.
Answer:
During Kanishka’s reign, Buddhism got split into Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) and the Mahay an a (Great Vehicle).

Question 36.
Give one evidence to suggest that the sculptural art flourished during the reign of Satvahanas of Deccan.
Answer:
The sculptures of Amaravati and Nagarjuna konda Stupas.

Question 37.
Name a fine specimen of rock-cut architecture during the reign of the Satvahanas.
Answer:
The Chaitya at Karle.

Question 38.
Name the two main crafts that flourished during the Gupta age.
Answer:
Jewellery-making and sculpture flourished during the Gupta age.

Question 39.
Mention an important cause for the revival of Brahmanical religion in the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Gupta monarchs were staunch supporters of Brahmanism, they gave a strong impetus to the restoration and enhancement of their religion.

Question 40.
Mention-any one cause that led to the decline of the mighty Gupta empire.
Answer:
The repeated invasions of the Hunas led to the decline of the mighty Gupta empire. Pandyas. He also sent two naval expeditions to Sri Lanka to help Sri Lankan prince, Manavarman to gain the throne of that island.

Question 41.
Mention the literary works of Dandin.
Answer:
Dandin wrote Daskumarcharita and Kavyadarsha.

Question 42.
Name the literary work of Perundevanar.
Answer:
Perundevanar wrote Bharatam.

Question 43.
How many Rathas are found at Mahabalipuram?
Answer:
Eight Rathas are found at Mahabalipuram.

Question 44.
Name the ‘Pancha Pandava’ Rathas.
Answer:
Draupadi Ratha, Dharamaraja Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Bhima Ratha and Sahadeva Ratha.

Question 45.
Name the largest and the smallest of the
Answer:
The largest Ratha is the Dharamaraja Ratha. The smallest Ratha is the Draupadi Ratha.

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
Question 1.
There are many literary sources to reconstruct the Age of the Guptas. In this context explain the literary accounts of Fa-hien.
Answer:
Accounts of Fa-hien — Fa-hien, in his book Fo-Kwo-Ki (The Travels of Fa-hien) mentioned about life of the people and religious conditions that prevailed in the early years. According to Fa-hien, Magadha was a prosperous country with large towns, teeming with wealthy population. Pataliputra was a flourishing city with numerous charitable institutions, including a hospital endowed by benevolent citizens. According to Fa-hien, although the people were wealthy, they led simple lives, generally observing the Buddhist rules of conduct. Fa-hien has mentioned that Vaishnavism, Shaivism and even Buddhism and Jainism existed in the society. People, however,had no ill-will towards other sects. Fa-hien said that Hindu gods and goddesses were depicted on coins and also in sculptures and paintings. Fa-hien was pleased with the mildness of the administration. According to him, the penal code was mild and the offences were ordinarily punished by fines only. From his accounts, it can be inferred that the Gupta Empire was prosperous and governed on enlightened principles.

Question 2.
Regarding archaeological sources to reconstruct the Age of the Gupta, explain what significance do the following have:
(a) Allahabad Pillar Inscription (b) Nalanda University
Answer:
(a) The Allahabad Pillar Inscription:
Allahabad Pillar Inscription is one of the most epigraphic evidence of the Imperial Gupta. Achievements of different rulers of the Gupta image are mentioned in Allahabad Pillar Inscription. It gives a vivid description of the reign and conquest of Samudragupta. Historians, both ancient and modem, have considered the historical value of Allahabad Pillar. It provides a pretty impressive lest of Kings and tribal republic that were conquered by Samudragupta.

(b) Nalanda University:
It was the most renowned educational institution of ancient India. Located at Nalanda in Rajagriha in Bihar, it was originally set up by Sakraditya in the 5th century AD during the reign of Kumaragupta-I. The University of Nalanda had imposing buildings. There were at least 8 colleges built by different patrons including one by Balaputradeva, King of Sumatra. According to Hiuen Tsang the whole university area was enclosed by a brick wall. The Nalanda University provided various facilities to the students for their studies. There were three great libraries called Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi and Ratnaranjak.

There were more than 10,000 students including teachers of all kinds. They came from Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China, Tibet, Ceylon and various parts of India. The subjects of study at Nalanda University were all the four Vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, samkya, yoga, nyaya and the Buddhist works of the different schools. It was not an ordinary university. It was a post-graduate institution to which admission was very difficult. Before admission, an examination was held in which hardly 20% students passed and the rest of 80% were rejected. Only the most brilliant were admitted to the University. Nalanda continued to be a beacon of light up to 12th century AD when it was destroyed by Mohammad-bin- Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general of Mohammad Ghori. Today only the remains of its magnificence and glory can be seen.

Question 3.
Samudragupta earned a reputation as one of the greatest kings and conquerors. In this context, explain:(a) His Conquests, (b) His Personal Attainments.
Answer:
Samudragupta earned a reputation as one of the greatest kings and conquerors. In this context, the given heads are explained below:
(a) His Conquests: Samudra gupta first defeated the rulers of northern India and annexed their dominions. They included the Nagas of Mathura, Padmavati (near Gwalior) and Ahicchetra (the region in the neighborhood of Bareli) and the ruling chiefs of western Uttar Pradesh and eastern India. He won victories over twelve rulers including those of Orissa, Andhra and Tamil Nadu. He defeated these rulers, but did not annex their kingdoms. He allowed them to rule as tributaries of the Gupta empire. The rulers of Bengal, Assam, Nepal, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh got impressed by his victories and submitted of their own free-will and agreed to pay tributes to him.

(b) His Personal Attainments: Besides a great conqueror, Samudragupta was also a scholar, a poet and a lover of music. He was called He worshiped Lord Vishnu, but he showed respect for all religions. He was also a patron of learning.

Question 4
The reign of Chandragupta n marks the zenith of the Gupta glory. In this context briefly describe his conquests and the extent of his Empire.
Answer:
In context of the reign of Chandragupta II the given headlines are described below:
Chandragupta II was determined to overthrow the Saka power in Gujarat and Kathiawar peninsula. With a view to pursuing his plan against the Sakas. He married Kubemaga, a Naga princess. He gave the hand of his daughter to Rudrasena II, the Vakataka prince. Thus, he secured the friendship of those rulers who could be of much service to him in his campaign against the Saka satraps. He attacked the Saka satraps. He conquered the Saka rulers and obtained the title of Sakari. He put an end to the domination of foreigners in India, but added rich areas and prosperous parts to the empire. He defeated a united front of his enemies in Vanga (Bengal) and his victorious arms reached the northern Afghanistan (Vahilkas).

Question 5.
The Gupta era witnessed an unprecedented intellectual progress. In this context explain:
(a) Enrichment of Sanskrit literature with reference to the works of Kalidasa and Visakhadutta.
(b) Technical and Scientific works of Aryabhatta
Answer:
In context of the unprecedented intellectual progress that the Gupta era witnessed, the given headlines are explained as under:
(a)
The Gupta age had been aptly called the “Golden Age of Sanskrit Literature”. In this period, the great poet and dramatist, Kalidasa made a significant contribution in the field of Sanskrit literature. Abhi janash akuntalam popularly known as Shakuntala, is the well-known masterpiece of him, it is regarded as one of the best literary productions of the world. Malavikagnimitra and Vikramorvasiya are two other excellent dramas written by him. His literary skill is also displayed in his two epics—Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava and in the lyric poetry of Ritu Samhara and Visakhadutta was the another literary genius, he wrote the well known political drama Mudrarakshasa, in which he described the political revolution that led to the fall of the Nanda Dynasty and the establishment of the Mauryan empire. Devichandraguptam was another play of him, dealing with the early life of Chandragupta II.

(b)
Aryabhatta was a great astronmer and mathematician. He wrote two famous works, the Aryabhatiya and Surya Siddhanta. The former deals with Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra and Trigonometry. He worked out the exact value of 7i (pi) viz, 3.1416 and discovered a formula to find the area of a triangle. In this famous work Surya Siddhanta, he explained scientifically the causes of the solar and lunar eclipses. He was the first Indian astronomer to declare that the earth revolves around the sun and rotates on its own axis. India’s first satellite sent into space was named ‘Aryabhatta’ after this great astronomer.

Question 6.
With reference to Nalanda University answer the following questions:
(a) Under whose patronage did the University develop into a famous Center of Learning ?
(b) Give three of its special features ?
(c) Who destroyed this University ?
Answer:
(a)
Nalanda University — It was the most renowned educational institution of ancient India. Located at Nalanda in Rajagriha in Bihar, it was originally set up by Sakraditya in the 5th century AD during the reign of Kumaragupta-I. The University of Nalanda had imposing buildings. There were at least 8 colleges built by different patrons including one by Balaputradeva, King of Sumatra. According to Hiuen Tsang the whole university area was enclosed by a brick wall.
(b)
The Nalanda University provided various facilities to the students for their studies. There were three great libraries called Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi and Ratnaranjak. There were more than 10,000 students including teachers of all kinds. They came from Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China, Tibet, Ceylon and various parts of India. The subjects of study atNalanda University were all the four Vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, samkya, yoga, nyaya and the Buddhist works of the different schools. It was not an, ordinary university. It was a post-graduate institution to which admission was very difficult. Before admission, an examination was held in which hardly 20% students passed and the rest of 80% were rejected. Only the most brilliant were admitted to the University.
(c)
Nalanda continued to be a beacon of light up to 12th century AD when it was destroyed by Mohammad-bin-Bakhtiyar Khilji,-a general of Mohammad Ghori. Today only the remains of its magnificence and glory can be seen.

Question 7.
Study the picture given here and answer the following questions:
ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics - The Age of the Guptas 1
(a) Where is this Vishnu Temple located ?
(b) Which period does it belong to ?
(c) What are the three main structural features of the temple?
Answer:
(a) This is the Vishnu temple located at Deogarh. It is also known as the Dashavatara Temple.
(b) Gupta Period.
(c) The Sanchi temple, another temple in the Gupta period has a flat roof. The columns of the portico are surmounted by a bell capital. A large number of Stupas, Viharas and Chaityas were cut out of solid rocks.

Question 8.
The Pallava period recorded brilliant achievements in the fields of literature, art and architecture. In this context explain: Architectural features of the Dharmaraja Rath.
Answer:
The main features of Dharamaraja Rath are as fellows:

Dharamaraja Ratha is a monolithic structure, carved out of a single boulder on the seashore.
It resembles a Buddhist Vihara and Chaitya. Its base is square but the tower is pyramidal.
The tower has three tiers and a small stupa on top of the spire.
The Ratha is adorned with magnificent sculptures.

Question 9.
Harshavardhana not only brought the greater part of northern India under his direct rule, he also consolidated his dominions by efficient administrative machinery. In this context explain:
(a) His Conquests and Extent of his Empire
(b) His Administration.
Answer:
Harshavardhana consolidated his dominions by efficient administrative machinery in this context the given headlines are explained below:

(a)
His Conquests and Extent of his Empire: Harshavardhana became the ruler of Thanesar after he succeeded his elder brother Rajyavardhana. After becoming the king, he immediately decided to rescue his sister and punish Sasanka. He advanced with a huge army and inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy. Harsha administered the government of Kanauj in the name of his sister. Later, the kingdom of Kanauj was combined with that of Thanesar and the union, thus formed, was developed into an empire by Harsha.Hiuen-Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, said Harsha brought the Five Indies under his control.
These regions included

Eastern Punjab,
Kanuaj (Uttar Pradesh),
Magadha (Bihar),
Bengal and
Orissa

He tried to expand his empire beyond the river Narmada, but he suffered a defeat at the hands of Pulakesin II, the Chalukya king. He died in 648 AD. He had no heir.

(b) His Administration: Harsha raised the small state into the most powerful kindgom in northern India. Hiuen-Tsang remarks, “the king personally supervised the affairs of his vast kingdom. The day was too short for him. ’’ His officials and state-functionaries, both civil and military, worked very efficiently. The outlying provinces were put in charge of Governors and the provinces were further subdivided into districts, called Visayas. The penal law was exceptionally severe. Imprisonment for life was a common penalty for breach of laws and conspiracy against the king. For offences against social morality, the punishment was to cut off nose or an ear or a hand or foot. Minor offences were punished by ordering offenders to pay a fine.

Question 10.
The Pallava period recorded brilliant achievements in the fields of literature, art and architecture. In this context explain:
(a) Their patronage to literature.
(b) Contributions in the field of architecture.
Answer:
In contex of the brilliant achievements in the fields of literature during the Pallava period, the given headlines are explained as under:
(a) Their patronage to literature: The Pallava rulers patronised Sanskrit scholars. Mahendravarman himself was a scholar and a musician. He wrote Prahasans (farces) – Mattavilasa and Dandin, who wrote Daskumaracharita and Kavyadarsha, lived in the court of Narasimhavarman II. Dinnaga Vatsayana the author of Nyayabhasya, was also associated with Kanchipuram, Sanskrit was the language of courts and men of literature, but Tamil became the vehicle for popular composition of devotional poetry. It received encouragement from the rulers. Perundevanar wrote Bharatam and a court-poet of King ; Nandivarman III composed Nandikalambalkam.

(b) Contributions in the field of architecture: Many magnificent temples were built by the Pallava kings. Under the Pallava rulers; of Kanchipuram, two forms of temple-architecture were evolved in the South-—the rock-cut’and the structural shrinks. The rock-cut architecture includes two types of shrines—the Mandapas and the Rathas. Mandapas are open pavilions with one or more cells in the back-wall. This type of architecture is found in places like—Pallavaram, Trichinopoly and Dalavanur. Rathas are monolithic shrines. The best examples of monolithic shrines or Rathas are found at Mahabalipuram in Tamilnadu.

Question 11.
Study the picture of Dharmaraja Ratha and answer the following questions:
(a) Name the place and the State where the Ratha is located ?
(b) Under which Dynasty and in whose reign was the Ratha built ?
(c) When was it built ?
(d) Mention three architectural features of the
Answer:
On the basis of study of the picture of Dharmaraja Ratha, the given questions are answered as under:
(a) Mahabalipuram in Tamilnadu.
(b) Under the Pallava dynasty, King Narasimhavarman builtthe Ratha.
(c) It was built in the 7th century AD
(d) The temple is monolithic;

Carved from a single massive granite stone, it resembles a Buddhist Vihara and Its base is square, but the tower is pyramidal;
The tower has three tiers and a small stupa on top of the spire.

Question 12.
With reference to the Gupta administration, mention briefly: The position of the King and his Ministers.
Answer:
With reference to the Gupta administration, the given headlines are explained ahead

The position of the King and his Ministers: The Guptas discarded the modest title of Rajan and assumed titles like—Maharajadhiraja, Parambhattaraka and Paramadaivata. An important feature of the period was the emphasis on divine character of kingship. Titles such as ‘Paramadaivata’ raised rulers to the level of Gods. Several ministers assisted the king in the task of administration. The Mantri stood at the head of civil administration. Other important officials included the Senapati (General of the Army), the Chief of the Palace Guards and Sandhivigrahika that is, the Minister for foreign affairs.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Short Answer Questions:

Question 1.
When did Fa-hien visit India? Who was the ruler at that time ?
Answer:
Fa-hien started his journey from China in AD 399 and reached India in AD 405 and stayed in India up to 411. Chandragupta II was the ruler at that time.

Question 2.
During whose reign Hiuen Tasang visited India ?
Answer:
Hiuen Tasang visited India during the reign of Harsha.

Question 3.
Name the three dramas written by Kalidasa.
Answer:
The three dramas written by Kalidasa were Malavikagnimitram, Abhij nanshakuntalam and V ikramorvashiyam.

Question 4.
Why is the Gupta Period known as the Golden Age of Indian culture ?
Answer:
The Gupta Period is remarkable for all-around development in ideal administration, art, culture, economy, medicines, literature, education, astronomy etc. The famous universities of Taxila and Nalanda near Rawalpindi and in Bihar respectively. The temple of Bhitrigaon in Kanpur, Bhitari temple in Gazipur, Deogarh temple in Jhansi are examples of five architect. Aryabhatta, a famous astronomer and mathematician, Varahmibira, Brahmagupta was eminent astronomers. Charaka and Sushruta were excellent scholars of Ayurveda. The ‘Iron Pillar’ in New Delhi is the proof of high level metallurgy due to its high quality iron. Highly talented poets were Kalidas, Sudraka, Bhasa, Harishena, Dandin Subandhu, Bharavi, Banbhatta, Vishnusharma (writer of Panchatantra). Besides this, Puranas and Bhagvata Gita were written in this period. So it was the golden period of Indian culture, undoubtedly.

Question 5.
How was Samudragupta a bold and great conqueror ?
Answer:
Samudragupta was a brave conqueror. He defeated many rulers. His empire extended from Yamuna and Chambal in the west to Brahmaputra in the east. He was known as the ‘Napoleon of India’.

Question 6.
Who was Fa-hien ? What did he say about India ?
Answer:
The Chinese traveller Fa-hien, visited India at the time of Chandragupta-II (Vikramaditya). He was deeply impressed by the ideal and mild administration affected by Buddhism, economic prosperity of Pataliputra and Magadha, simplicity of the people. He had also mentioned about the versatile religions including Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Buddhism and Jainism etc.

Question 7.
Name two renowned Sanskrit authors and their important works during the Gupta period.
Answer:
Kalidasa: The famous poet of Vikramaditya’s court, wrote famous poetic works, e.g. Ritusamhara, Raghuvamsa. Sudraka: He wrote dramatic work ‘Mrichchhakatika’ or the ‘Little Clay Cart’, throwing light on socio-economic life of the people with a sense of humor.

Question 8.
Name two famous universities tliat existed during the Gupta period ?
Answer:
Two famous universities were Taxila near Rawalpindi and Nalanda university in Bihar.

Question 9.
Name any two titles adopted by the Gupta rulers ?
Answer:
‘Maharajadhiraja’ and ‘Napoleon of India’ were the two titles adopted by Gupta rulers.

Question 10.
Name the officer who collected the toll tax during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The officer who collected the toll tax during the Gupta period was known as ‘Shaulkika’

Question 11.
Name the officer who was in charge of a province or bhukti during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The officer who was incharge of a province or bhukti during the Gupta period was called Vishayapati.

Question 12.
What contribution did Aryabhatta and Varahamihira make in the field of science, astronomy and mathematics ?
Answer:
Aryabhatta discovered zero decimal system and calculated the value of pi (3.1416) and area of triangle in mathematics; movement of earth and sun in the astronomy. Varahamihira invented that the moon moves around the earth and studied the movement of planets.

Question 13.
What was the chief architectural feature of the brick temple at Bhitrigaon ?
Answer:
This temple dates back to 5th century AD. The temple has a pyramidal roof and its outer walls are decorated with statues and figures. There is a Shivalinga placed in the Garbagriha. The chief architectural feature is the arch, the curved structure supporting the weight of the roof.

Question 14.
Give two distinguishing features of Ajanta and Bagh paintings.
Answer:
Ajanta and Bagh paintings are very impressive and lively with human faces, limbs drawn with grace and action along with flowers and birds depicting living action views.

II. Structured Questions.

Question 1.
With reference to the sources of information about the Gupta Age, write short notes on the following:
(a) Accounts of Fa-hien
(b)The Allahabad Pillar Inscription
(c) Nalanda University
Answer:
(a)
Accounts of Fa-hien — Fa-hien, in his book Fo-Kwo- Ki (The Travels of Fa-hien) mentioned about life of the people and religious conditions that prevailed in the early years. According to Fa-hien, Magadha was a prosperous country with large towns, teeming with wealthy population. Pataliputra was a flourishing city with numerous charitable institutions, including a hospital endowed by benevolent citizens. According to Fa-hien, although the people were wealthy, they led simple lives, generally observing the Buddhist rules of conduct. Fa-hien has mentioned that Vaishnavism, Shaivism and even Buddhism and Jainism existed in the society. People, however, had no ill-will towards other sects. Fa-hien said that Hindu gods and goddesses were depicted on coins and also in sculptures and paintings.Fa-hien was pleased with the mildness of the administration. According to him, the penal code was mild and the offences were ordinarily punished by fines only. From his accounts, it can be inferred that the Gupta Empire was prosperous and governed on enlightened principles.
(b)
The Allahabad Pillar Inscription — Allahabad Pillar Inscription is one of the most epigraphic evidences of the Imperial Gupta. Achievements of different rulers of the Gupta image are mentioned in Allahabad Pillar Inscription. It gives a vivid description of the reign and conquest of Samudra- gupta. Historians, both ancient and modem, have considered the historical value of Allahabad pillar. It provides a pretty impressive lest of Kings and tribal republic that were conquered by Samudragupta.
(c)
Nalanda University—It was the most renowned educational institution of ancient India. Located at Nalanda in Rajagriha in Bihar, it was originally set up by Sakraditya in the 5th century AD during the reign of Kumaragupta-I. The University of Nalanda had imposing buildings. There were at least 8 colleges built by different patrons including one by Balaputradeva, King of Sumatra. According to Hiuen Tsang the whole university area was enclosed by a brick wall.The Nalanda University provided various facilities to the students for their studies. There were three great libraries called Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi and Ratnaranjak. There were more than 10,000 students including teachers of all kinds. They came from Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China, Tibet, Ceylon and various parts of India.The subjects of study at Nalanda University were all the four Vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, samkya, yoga, nyaya and the Buddhist works of the different schools.It was’ not an ordinary university. It was a post-graduate institution to which admission was very difficult. Before admission, an examination was held in which hardly 20% students passed and the rest of 80% were rejected. Only the most brilliant were admitted to the University. Nalanda continued to be a beacon of light upto 12th century AD when it was destroyed by Mohammad-bin-Bakhtiyar Khilji, ageneral of Mohammad Ghori. Today only the remains of its magnificence and glory can be seen.

2. With reference to the Age of the Guptas, answer the following questions.
Question 2(a).
Explain the extent of samudragupta’s Empire based on the information given in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription.
Answer:
The Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta describes four different kinds of rulers and tells us about Samudragupta’s policies towards them:

The nine rulers of Aryavarta were up rooted and their kingdoms were made a part of Samudragupta’s empire.
The twelve rulers of Dakshinpatha (South India), who surrendered to Samudra gupta after being defeated, were liberated and allowed to rule again over their kingdoms.
The inner circle of neighboring states, including Assam, Coastal Bengal, Nepal and a number of gana sanghas (organisation of many kings) in the north-west. They brought tribute, followed his ordered and attended his court.
The rulers of the outlying areas, who submitted to him and offered their daughters in marriage

Question 2(b).
Explain how Chandragupta II expanded his empire.
Answer:
Chandragupta II inherited the military genius of his father and extended the Gupta empire by conquest of his own. He annexed the territories of Sakas of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra. For this he was given the title ‘ Sakari’ or conqueror of Sakas. According to noted historian, Dr. Vincent Smith, “the annexation of Saurashtra and Malwa not only added to the empire, provinces of exceptional wealth and fertility, but opened up access to the ports of the western coast; and thus placed Chandragupta II in direct touch with the seaborne commerce with Europe through Egypt.” Chandragupta-II entered into matrimonial alliances as a part of his foreign policy. He married Kuberanaga of the Naga family. The Nagas were a powerful ruling clan and this matrimonial alliance helped the Gupta ruler in expanding his empire. The marriage of Chandragupta’s daughter, Prabhavati with the Vakataka ruler, Rudrasena II helped him to establish his political influence in the Deccan.

3.With reference to the administrative system of the Guptas, answer the following questions:
Question 3(a).
Explain the position and powers of the king during the Gupta Age.
Answer:
The Gupta kings enjoyed a large number of powers which covered the political, administrative, military and judicial fields. They were the commanders-in-chief of the army. Samundragupta, Chandragupta II and Skandagupta personally led their armies. The kings appointed all the governors and important military and civil officers. The governors and their officers had to work under the control and guidance of the king. The central secretariat also worked under the supervision of the king. The king was the source of all honors and titles. All land in the country was the property of the king. He could construct dams, give shelter to foreigners, impose, recover and remit taxes and give justice. If any property was unclaimed, that went into the coffers of the king.

Question 3(b).
Describe briefly the administration of villages during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The village administration was managed by the village headman. The Gupta inscriptions refer to the participation of leading local elements in the administration of the village or small towns called vithis. No land transactions could be effected without their consent and this may have been also true of other important affairs.

4. With reference to Golden Age of Indian Culture answer the following questions.
Question 4(a) .
Briefly describe growth of Sanskrit literature.
Answer:
Sanskrit became the language of the learned and retained its supreme position for a thousand years. Guptas made Sanskrit official language for administrative purposes. They used Sanskrit instead of Prakrit in their inscriptions. Sanskrit was used in official documents as well as in inscriptions. The classical Sanskrit literature that flowered during the Gupta period consisted of epics, poetry, drama, lyrics and prose.

Question 4(b).
Give an account of the contribution of Aryabhatta,Varahamihira and Brahmagupta. ‘
Answer:
Aryabhatta (AD 471-500) — He wrote two famous books Aryabhattiyam and Surya Siddhanta. He told that the earth moves round the sun. He also discovered the rule for finding the area of a triangle. He calculated the exact value of pi which was equal to 3.1416. The credit for development of trigonometry should actually go to him. Aryabhatta was acquainted with the decimal system and use of ‘zero’. The decimal system has numbers from 1 to 9 and zero. Varahamihira — He composed two famous books Panch Siddhantika and Brihat Samhita. He proved that moon rotates round the earth and earth rotates round the sun. He also studied movements of planets. Brahmagupta — He wrote Brahma Sphutic Siddhanta and described law of gravitation, several centuries before Newton. This system is now in use throughout the world.

Question 4(c).
Describe the progress in medicine during this period.
Answer:
Ayurvedic medicines were created by Charak and Sushruta in the 2nd century A.D., which are still today the basic promoter of herbal medicines e.g. ‘Chyavanprash’ and various digestive medicines.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Weathering

November 10, 2023May 20, 2022 by Raju

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Weathering

ICSE Solutions Selina ICSE Solutions ML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

I. Short Answer Questions.

Question 1.
What is weathering ?
Answer:
Weathering involves disintegration or decay of solid rock due to change in temperature and weather and their impact on the composition of rock.

Question 2.
Give one point of difference between physical and chemical weathering.
Answer:
Physical weathering does disintegration of rock without chemical reaction and the chemical weathering does change in chemical compounds within rock.

Question 3.
What is known as exfoliation ? Name the processes involved in it ?
Answer:
Sudden change in temperature causes fissures in the rocks through which water penetrates to motivate chemical weathering along with sudden contraction and expansion due to change in temperature peels out the upper layer of rock known as exfoliation.

Question 4.
Name the four processes involved in chemical weathering.
Answer:
These are solution, carbonation, oxidation and hydration.

Question 5.
What is known as oxidation ?
Answer:
It is the process of reaction of minerals present in rocks to atmospheric oxygen.

Question 6.
Briefly describe biological weathering.
Answer:
Biological weathering is done by animals, insects plants and man, because these break up the rocks through making holes, root channels and construction of building, canals etc.

Question 7.
What are exogenic forces ?
Answer:
These are the external forces that sculpture the surface features of the land.

Question 8.
What is called denudation ? Name the processes involved in it.
Answer:
Denudation is the wearing away of landmass by various agents as water, wind and ice through various processes like weathering, mass movement, erosion and transportation.

Question 9.
Name the two processes of gradation.
Answer:
Two processes are denudation and aggradation.

Question 10.
What is the chief characteristic of weathering in tropical climates ?
Answer:
Tropical climates are noted for distinct dry and wet season and high rate of evaporation. During rainy season the oxides of iron and aluminium are dissolved in water and mix up with the soil to form laterite soils.

Question 11.
What is known as mass wasting ?
Answer:
The movement of loose material derived from the bed rock through weathering is called mass wasting.

Question 12.
Name any two slow movements of mass wasting.
Answer:
Slow movements of mass wasting an be divided into two
main types — Creep and Solifluction.
Creep : The slow downhill movement of debris is called soil creep.
Solifluction : The water mixed with soil forms clay which moves as a thick viscous fluid.

Question 13.
Give one example of rapid mass movement.
Answer:
Rapid mass movement includes large amount of debris, soil, boulders and rock pieces etc, e.g. landslides and sheet erosion or displacement of the upper rock strata in large amount to uncover the rocks lying below.

Question 14.
What is known as Sheet Wash ?
Answer:
It is the rapid movement of rock debris etc in heavy amount taking the form of a thick sheet of thick fluid of soil and clay removing settlement and vegetation cover, too.

II. Give a technical term for each of the following :

Question 1.
Disintegration or decomposition of rock.
Answer:
Weathering.

Question 2.
Peeling off of the outer layer of rock through contraction and expansion.
Answer:
Exfoliation

Question 3.
Expansion of minerals in rocks on coming into contact with rainwater.
Answer:
Hydration.

Question 4.
The leveling of land surface by erosion and deposition.
Answer:
Gradation.

Question 5.
The process in which a landform of lower level is upgraded to a higher level.
Answer:
Aggradation.

III. Say whether the following are ‘True’ or ‘False’.

1. Temperature is not a factor in physical weathering.
Answer. False

2. In dry climates mechanical weathering is dominant.
Answer. True

3. In Polar regions there is no chemical weathering.
Answer. True

4. External forces are engaged only in erosion.
Answer. False

5. Shear plane is the surface on which movement of a landslide takes place as a result of its breaking off.
Answer.True

IV. Long Answer Questions.

PQ. Describe the process of denudation and gradation.
Answer:
Denudation is the process of wearing away of rock-strata by water, wind and ice along with change in weather and temperature.
Gradation is the process of leveling down the whole landform gradually to ground level by various agents of change mainly water, (rivers), wind and ice (glaciers), etc.

Question 1.
Define weathering and describe the chief characteristics of weathering.
Answer:
Weathering is the process of breaking down of rocks but not its removal. It is described as disintegration or decomposition of a rock in size by natural agents at or near the surface of the earth.
Chief characteristics of weathering are disintegration of rocks, chemical change in rocks, change in the surface of land, formation of soil, several processes involved in weathering like temperature and weather change and reactions, transportation of rock material from one place to another resulting in formation of large plains like Northern plain of India.

Question 2.
Distinguish between physical and chemical weathering.
Answer:
Physical Weathering :

Rock disintegration without any change in chemical constituents of rocks takes place.
Factors such as temperature, moisture, pressure cause physical break-up of rocks.
It takes place in hot dry and cold areas due to rapid temperature changes.
Rocks are affected to great depths.
Its agents are temp erature and moisture.

Chemical Weathering :

Mineral in rocks are dissolved or altered.
Temperature, moisture, etc., cause minerals in rocks to dissolve in water or convert them into other minerals.
It takes place in hot and humid areas due to chemical action of minerals in rocks.
It mostly takes place near the surface of the earth.
Its agents are solution, oxidation, carbonation and hydration.

Question 3.
Describe chemical weathering mentioning the processes involved in it.
Answer:
Chemical weathering takes place with the help of agents as water, wind and various organic acids, reacting in the chemical composition of rocks which are then disintegrated. Four main processes are solution by dissolving salts in the rocks with water, carbonation works with the reaction of carbon dioxide with rocks, oxidation takes place through atmospheric oxygen reacting with minerals present in rocks, hydration is evident by mixing of rainwater with minerals in rocks, which expand by this and become heavy.

Question 4.
What is biological weathering ? State the main agents of biological weathering.
Answer:
Biological weathering is weathering caused by plants and animals. Plants and animals release acid forming chemicals that cause weathering and also contribute to the breaking down of rocks and landforms. It is also known as Organic weathering. Its main agents are animals, insects, plants and man. In all the cases, however, both physical disintegration and / or chemical decomposition are involved. Their role can be explained as follows :

Animals and Insects : Animals like rabbits, worms, moles and insects bring large quantities of fine material to the surface. Burrowing animals help to loosen the surface materials around the rocks facilitating their physical disintegration. Upon death, the decaying physical also provide many chemicals and acids for rock disintegration.
Vegetation : Roots of large trees reach deep into rocks and cause physical disintegration due to pressure. Most of : vegetation, however, prevents disintegration of rocks because it binds the surface layer and does not allow exposure of rocks beneath to the elements of weathering.

Question 5.
Describe the chief characteristics of weathering in different climates.
Answer:
Equatorial region is noted for more active chemical weathering due to excess of temperature and water ; tropical region is remarkable for formation of laterite soil by mixing of oxides of iron and aluminium in the soil due to change in heating and much evaporation.

Question 6.
State and explain the classification of mass movements.
Answer:
Mass movements are divided into slow and rapid movements. Slow movement includes Creep, movement of soil and debris and Solifluction or clay formation Rapid movement includes landslide, Earth Flow or heavy thick paste of soil down the slope, Mud Flow in the areas without vegetation cover and Sheet Wash in the form of large sheet flow snatching a thick rock strata uncovering the rocks below. It may also take place by human activities of settlement.
Mass movement has built many remarkable landforms as Himalayan lakes, Terraces, escarpment etc.

Practice Questions (Solved)

Question 1.
Name two processes involved in denudation.
Answer:
Weathering and Erosion.

Question 2.
What does the term denude mean ?
Answer:
To lay the rocks bare.

Question 3.
What is weathering ?
Answer:
Breaking up of rocks by agents related to atmosphere.

Question 4.
Name the gases involved in the process of chemical weathering.
Answer:
Weak acids, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen.

Question 5.
In which region underground water is an effective agent of denudation.
Answer:
Underground water is an effective agent of denudation in limestone regions.

Question 6.
Name few well known physical features caused by chemical weathering.
Answer:

Limestone and chalk landforms of Karst region of Yugoslavia.
Weathering of granite rocks in Malaysia.

Question 7.
Why is mechanical weathering also known as physical weathering ?
Answer:
Because it involves physical disintegration of rocks. Physical disintegration is quickest when rock is already weakened by chemical weathering. So it is primarily known as mechanical weathering.

Question 8.
What is weathering ? Illustrate the process graphically.
Answer:
The break-down but not removal of rocks is called weathering. It is a process of wearing away of land through forces of nature like weather, running water, ocean currents etc. Weathering is a single process and takes place in air.

Question 9.
Distinguish between :

Weathering and Denudation
Loess and Alluvium.

Answer:

Weathering and Denudation : Weathering is a process 4 of gradual disintegration of rocks by atmospheric or weather forces. Denudation is a process of wearing away of land and it includes weathering also.
Loess and Alluvium : Alluvial soils are formed by depositional activity of running water and loess by wind. Alluvium contains high mineral and humus content, and loess is highly permeable.

Question 10.
On what factors does the weathering depend ?
Answer:
Weathering depends upon :

structure of rocks
climate
vegetation
topography and slope of land.

Question 11.
What do you understand by Denudation ?
Answer:
Denudation is a general term which covers all the agents causing destruction or the wearing away of the rock surface of the earth together with their transportation and final deposition.

Question 12.
Name any two agents of denudation.
Answer:

The weather in which the chief agents are heat and cold which did water and frost
The running water

Question 13.
Name the gases which help in chemical weathering.
Answer:
The following atmospheric gases help in the process of chemical weathering:

Oxygen
Hydrogen
Carbon dioxide

Question 14.
What is humus ? How is it formed ? What is its significance in soil formation ?
Answer:
Humus : Humus is a dark substance formed in soils. It is a dead organic matter formed by decay of animals and plants. Trees, shrubs, grass and bacteria help in the formation of humus. In warmer climates, humus is destroyed by countless bacteria. In colder areas soils are rich in humus and it is collected in the soil. Tropical humid soils are poor in humus because it is consumed by bacteria.
Humus is vital to the fertility of soils. It provides nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium to the soils. It sustains other forms of life. It helps the weathering of minerals to add to fertility of soils. It increases water holding capacity of soils.

Question 15.
What is a badland topography ?
Answer:
A highly dissected land surface is known as badland. In sloping areas, gully erosion results in soil erosion. These gullies develop a ravine land a badland topography. This topography consists of ridges, earth pillars, ravines, escarpments, etc. This topography is found in Chambal Valley of Madhya Pradesh in India.

Question 16.
Explain the processes of physical weathering giving examples.
Answer:
The disintegration of the bedrock due to changes in temperature and freezing action of water by mechanical process is called physical weathering e.g. frost or snow lying between the cracks forces to expand the rocks cracks which helps in disintegration. Besides this, the change in temperature does the expansion and contraction of rocks resulting in breaking the rocks into smaller pieces.

Question 17.
Distinguish between the following

(a) ‘Weathering’ and denudation.
(b) ‘Mechanical Weathering’ and ‘Chemical Weathering’.
(c) Sheet erosion and gully erosion.

Answer:
(a) Weathering :

Weathering is the physical and chemical weathering of rocks due to mechanical and chemical action of water, wind and ice.

Denudation :

Denudation includes both weathering and erosional proceses by which the natural agents of change (water, wind and ice), continously try to change the face of the earth.

(b) Mechanical Weathering :

It is done by the change in temperature and action of ice which breaks the rocks into small pieces.

Chemical Weathering :

It is done by oxidation hydration, carbonation and solution etc chemical processes which causes the breaking of rocks.

(c) Sheet Erosion :

Sheet Erosion causes washing out the upper layer of soil and vegetation cover due to heavy rainfall or floods.

Gully Erosion :

Through gully erosion deep cuts, cracks and trenches are carved in the soil-bed, These tend to be deeper channels known as ‘gullies’.

Question 18.
What do you understand by the following terms :

(a) Exfoliation
(b) Regolith
(c) Oxidation
(d) Carbonation
(e) Desilication
(f) Humus

Answer:

(a) Exfoliation — It is the process of scaling off the curved outer shells of the rock. Exfoliated dome-shaped rocks are largely found in great deserts.
(b) Regolith — It is the loose material created by the weathering of rocks i.e. small pieces of rocks.
(c) Oxidation — Formation of oxygen compounds with the contact of air with rocks e.g. iron-oxide etc. is known as oxidation.
(d) Carbonation — Formation of carbon compounds with the contact of air with rocks e.g. Calcium Carbonate, which is easily carried on by ground water.
(e) Desilication — The solution of silica of the rocks with water is called desilication.
(f) Humus — It is the decayed vegetation material found in the soil.

Question 19.

(a) What are different types of soil according to their texture ?
(b) How are the different kinds of soils in Temperate zones formed ?

Answer:
(a) According to the texture (sizes of the soil particles), the soil is divided into three main types i.e. Clay, loam (silt) and sandy loam (sand gravel), the diameter of soil particles ranges from .0002 mm to more than 2 mm. Soil structure refers to the physical arrangement of the soil.
(b) The kinds of temperate zone soils may be classified as follows.
Name :

Podzol
Cheronozems region
Brown and Grey soils
Chestnut soils

Region :

Cool and cold coniferous forest
Grassy steppes and semi arid lands
Deciduous forest region of high and middle latitudes
Arid margins of steppes.

Question 20.
Rewrite the following sentences, choosing the right word from those given in brackets :
Answer:

(Humus / Regolith) is produced by the decayed organic material, including dead leaves, stems roots, living bacteria, fungi, worms and other organisms.
(Weathering / Denudation) refers to the gradual disintegration and decomposition of rocks which lie exposed to the elements of weather.
(Young / Mature) soils are those which are undisturbed by erosion or deposition.
(Hydration / Carbonation) occurs when the water itself combines chemically with some element or mineral.
(Oxidation / Solution) is the chemical process in which some of the minerals are dissolved by the water.

Question 21.
Define the following terms briefly :

(a) Soil texture
(b) Soil structure
(c) Soil profile
(d) Soils
(e) Chernozems

Answer:

(a) Soil texture — It is the make up of the soil referring to the sizes of the soil particles.
(b) Soil structure — The structure of the soil may be blocky, granular, prismatic or columnar and platy which decides the movement of the soil water.
(c) Soil profile — The vertical structure of the soil from the bedrock below upto the surface soil is called the soil profile.
(d) Soils — The soils are the aggregate of loose, unconsolidated material along with micro-organism mineral compounds, humus etc.
(e) Chernozems — are the richest soils found in the grassy steppes and are best for wheat cultivation.

Question 22.
What are the various factors governing the formation of soil ? Which one is the most important and why ?
Answer:
The factors influencing the formation of soils are the parent rock, topography, vegetation, climate and time span. Out of these climate is the most important because it controls the type of weathering the first step of the soil formation process.

Question 23.
Match the following pairs correctly

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography Chapter 9 Weathering 2
Answer:

Question 24.
Explain the processes of physical weathering giving examples.
Answer:
Physical weathering : It is also called Mechanical weathering. It includes the breaking up of rocks without changing their composition. It means disintegration of rocks by mechanical means. This type of weathering results from the action of temperature changes, frost, wind and rainfall. It is important in dry areas.
The change in temperature causes the bare rocks to expand when warmed by the sun, and contract when night falls and their heat is lost by radiation. The mineral grains of a bed rock expand or contract at different rates as a result of heating or cooling. This causes the breaking of rock into fragment of grains.

Question 25.
Distinguish between the following :

(a) Weathering and Denudation
(b) Physical Weathering and Chemical Weathering.
(c) Sheet erosion and Gully erosion.
(d) Granular Disintegration and Block Disintegration.
(e) Solution and Hydration
(f) Erosion and Weathering.

Answer:

(a) Weathering : ‘Weathering’ means the disintegration and decay of the rocks cover of the earth’s surface. It is an action which affects rocks in the place where they are. The rate of weathering will depend on the climate of the region, on the kind of rock, on its chemical composition, on its hardness and structure which may allow water to penetrate easily into it.
Denudation : Denudation is a general term which covers all the agents causing destruction or the wearing away of the rock surface of the earth together with their transportation and final deposition.
(b) Physical weathering : It is also called Mechanical weathering. It includes the breaking up of rocks without changing their composition. It means disintegration of rocks by mechanical means. This type of weathering results from the action of temperature changes, frost, wind and rainfall. It is important in dry areas.
Chemical weathering : The decomposition of rocks by chemical processes is called chemical weathering. This type of weathering produces a chemical change in minerals of rocks. It results from the action of weak acids and atmospheric gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen. It involves the process of oxidation, carbonation, solution and hydration. It is important in hot humid areas.
(c) Sheet Erosion : When the vegetation cover of an area is removed, the rain, instead of sinking into ground, washes the soil down slope. Each succeeding rain-storm washes away a thin layer of absorbed top soil. This is known as Sheet Erosion.
Gully Erosion : When rain falls more heavily, the flow off storm water finds its way down hill in a series of channels.
Every fresh down pour widen and deepens the channels which develop into gullies. Gullies cut up agricultural land into small fragments and make them finally unfit for cultivation. This type of erosion is known as Gully Erosion.
(d) Granular Disintegration ; The temperature changes during summer and winter lead to expansion, due to heating and contraction, due to cooling. Different minerals present in the rocks may have different rates of expansion and contraction. For example dark coloured minerals will absorb more heat and expand to a greater extent than light coloured minerals. Such alternating expansion and contraction between day and night leads to a break up of the rock into different minerals. This type of weathering is called granular disintegration.
Block disintegration : A rock may split along joints or fissures by the repeated freezing of water in cracks or other openings, because water expands nearly one-tenth of its volume when it freezes. It is followed by melting during daytime repeatedly. This type of weathering is called block disintegration because the rock is split into rectangular block along the joints.
(e) Solution : It is the chemical process in which the soluble minerals are dissolved by water entering into rocks through crevices. The dissolved minerals are removed with the flow of water resulting in the break up of the rock. Rock-salt and gypsum weather away chemically because of this process. Since silica is highly soluble in water, and silica is found in so many rocks, this process is also known as Desilication.
Hydration : It is the process by which some minerals in crystalline form absorb water and become a powdery mass. Feldspar, a common rock forming crystalline mineral absorbs water and becomes a mass of clay by the process of hydration. The other minerals present along with feldspar get separated into loose particles and the rock breaks up.

(f) Erosion and Weathering :
Erosion :

Erosion includes the work of weathering away of rocks of the earth.
It involves motion.
River, glacier, wind are its main agents.

Weathering :

Weathering is the breaking of rocks by elements of atmosphere.
It involves no motion.
Temperature, frost, wind, plants and animals are its main agents.

Question 26.
What do you understand by the following terms :

(a) Exfoliation
(b) Regolith
(c) Oxidation
(d) Carbonation
(e) Weathering
(f) Humus
(g) Soil profile
(h) Landslide
(i) Soil texture
(j) Gradation
(k) Frost action

Answer:

(a) Exfoliation : When the rock consists of homogeneous minerals the thin surface layer of rock absorbs heat during the day and expands, while during the night, this surface layer contracts. In a few days the rock breaks up or peels off into layers. This type of weathering is called exfoliation.
(b) Regolith : The loose material which has resulted from the breaking down of bed rocks is called Regolith.
(c) Oxidation : The Atmospheric oxygen combines with minerals of rocks especially iron compounds to fonn oxides. The rocks begin to decay and crumble to a powdered mass of brown dust. This process is known as oxidation.
(d) Carbonation : The process of absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by minerals present in the rocks is called carbonation.
(e) Weathering : The disintegration or decay of rocks on the surface of the Earth due to atmospheric conditions is called weathering.
(f) Humus : The organic matter present in the soil is called humus.
(g) Soil profile : The vertical cross section of soil is called soil profile.
(h) Landslide : Sudden movement of weathered particles down the slope is known as landslide.
(i) Soil texture : Soil textures refers to size of the particles comprising the soil.
(j) Gradation : The process of erosion, transportation and deposition of rock material is called deposition.
(k) Frost action : The freezing of water in the cracks and openings of rocks during the night leading to the splitting up of the rocks is called frost action.

Question 27.
Account for the two types of weathering.
Answer:
Weathering may be :

Mechanical : weathering is the disintegration of rocks by mechanical forces, without chemical changes.
Chemical : weathering is the gradual decomposition of the rock owing to the reaction and combination of the constituent minerals of the rock with oxygen or carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. In Chemical weathering the presence of water is essential.

Question 28.
Describe how changes of temperature lead to weathering.
OR
How do changing temperature lead to weathering ?
Answer:
The alternate action of heat and cold helps in weathering of rocks. For example, during the day, the rocks expand by heat and they contract due to cold during night. It tends to loosen the particles of rock and it begins to disintegrate because every rock is composed of different minerals, which are affected differently due to changes in temperature and therefore the component parts of the rock begin to lose cohesion.
ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography Chapter 9 Weathering 4

Question 29.
How does frost action cause weathering ?
Answer:
In the middle latitudes, temperature may be above freezing point of water during day time and below freezing point during the night. Water present in the joints and fissures in the rocks, gets frozen into ice during the night. Freezing of water results in expansion in volume and the fissures widened.
It is followed by melting during day time repeatedly. It is called block disintegration because the rock is split into rectangular blocks along the joints. Frost action is most common in the tropical regions and in high mountains all the year round.

Question 30.
Name the different processes of chemical weathering.
Answer:
Different processes of chemical weathering are as follows :

Solution
Hydration
Oxidation
Carbonation

Question 31.
Describe the work of plants as agents of weathering.
Answer:
Plants protrude their roots through joints in the rocks and as the plant grows, the joints in the rocks get widened. The widening of joints allows water to seep through. Seepage of water may cause chemical weathering or frost action. Decay of plant remains like flowers, leaves, etc., result in the formation of organic acids which may react with minerals present in the rocks. The leads to chemical weathering.
ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography Chapter 9 Weathering 5

Question 32.
Which human activities lead to weathering of rocks ?
Answer:
Following human activities lead to weathering of rocks :

Mining
Quarrying
Deforestation

When trees are cut the binding action of the roots of the trees is no longer present. Rocks get exposed to sun and rain and weathering takes place rapidly. Mining and quarrying exposes bare rocks on the surface and these get weathered quickly.

Question 33.
State the effects of weathering.
Answer:
Effects of weathering :

It causes landslides.
It causes mud flow, that is, the flow of weathered material, soggy with water, deacon a hillside or a slope.
Weathering breaks down the particles of rocks gradually and makes it easy for rivers and other agents of denudation to transport them down the slope. It exposes the rock to further weathering. Thus weather assists the agents of denudation.
Weathering assists the formation of soils.

Question 34.
Give reasons for the following :

Change of temperature leads to physical weathering.
Presence of water aids chemical weathering.
Human activities encourage weathering.
Climate is the most important factor of soil formation.
Farmers are encouraged to adopt soil conservation methods.
A soil dominated by clay makes tilling difficult.
Grassland soils are less acidic than forest soils.

Answer:

Change of temperature leads to physical weathering because it leads to expansion due to heating and contraction due to cooling.
Presence of water aids chemical weathering because it dissolves soluble minerals present in the rocks.
Human activities encourage weathering because these activities expose rocks to sun and rain due to which weathering takes place rapidly.
Climate is the most important factor of soil formation because it controls the type of weathering of the parent rock arid availability of soil moisture for plants and micro-organisms.
Farmers are encouraged to adopt soil conservation methods because it protects the top layer of the soil.
A soil dominated by clay makes tilling difficult because it is sticky and tough.
Grassland soils are less acidic than forest soils because grasses are heavy feeders on the bases.

Question 35.
Explain the following terms.

Colloids
Bases

Answer:

Colloids : Colloids are extremely tiny particles which are so small that they can not be seen by optical microscope ‘ and remain suspended indefinitely in water. They have the property of being electrically charged and can attract and hold ions of calcium, magnesium and potassium, known as bases. These bases are required by plants for their growth. – Soil colloids are also useful in holding water in the soil. When present in large quantities, they make the soil sticky and tough so that it is difficult to cultivate.
Bases : Ions of calcium, magnesium and potassium are known as bases. They are required by the plants for their growth.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Denudation

November 10, 2023May 20, 2022 by Raju

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Denudation

ICSE Solutions Selina ICSE Solutions ML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

I. Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by denudation ?
Answer:
Denudation is the wearing away of landmass by various processes like weathering, erosion mass movement and transportation. It results in lowering the level of land, rounding exposed rock surfaces and levelling the peaks.

Question 2.
Name important factors which affect work of a river.
Answer:
Refer Long Answers Question 1

Question 3.
What is the main function of a river in its upper course in land formation ?
Answer:
In the upper course the dominant activity of a river is erosion. Many land forms are shaped by this activity of the river. Along its course, it erodes bed and banks, and carries large boulders of rock with it. Under the impact of rush of water.

Question 4.
Name two important land forms of river erosion.
Answer:

The two landforms resulting from erosion in the upper course of a river are the following :

V-shaped Valleys : It is formed from a stream eroding downward, through a process, called down cutting. These valleys are formed in the initial stages of rivers and have steep slopes.
I-shaped Valley : In regions of hard rocks it develops almost vertically in an I-shape. River valleys are normally formed in areas of sufficient rainfall and where rocks are not very hard or resistant.

Question 5.
How is a waterfall formed ?
Answer:
Waterfall : A waterfall is generally formed due to large differences in the rate of erosion. The smaller differences lead to formation of step-like features known as rapids. The water that falls down the edge of a hard resistant rock may have at the bottom a soft rock. It is this soft rock that gets eroded fast and creates a hollow basin called plunge pool. Some of the world’s highest and best known falls are Angel Falls (986 m) in Venezuela and Yosemite fall (778 m), California, USA.

Question 6.
State the main function of a river in its middle course.
Answer:
At this stage, the gradient is reduced, and the river flows more slowly. The middle course of the river begins when it leaves the mountains area and enters the plains. In the middle course the energy required to transport the materials is just enough to drag large particles. Fine particles remain suspended in water, large particles are just dragged along the bed of the river and smaller ones are rolled down in the centre. The river also gets windened as a result of great volume of water and the impact of the load.

Question 7.
How are meanders formed ?
Answer:
River meanders are bends of longitudinal courses. S-shaped meanders which are common to most rivers result when a ^ channel-forms a curved path. These are the result of both erosion and deposition work of rivers.
Meanders generally form under conditions of a gentle slope and sufficient water in rivers. The river flow is diverted by an obstruction allowing the river to do lateral erosion work.

Question 8.
Name two landforms in the lower course of a river.
Answer:

Delta : The river divides itself into many distributaries.
These distributaries are also subdivided into mini-distributaries. This is due to depsoition of sediments over a large’area near the mouth of rivers. Such sedimentation occurs on the sides of the stream, at the mouth, in the front part as well as in the bed of the river. The deposition over a large area results in a triangular-shaped formation called delta. It resembles the Greek letter A The Ganga-Brahmaputra delta is growing towards the sea. It is also one of the largest in the world.
Oxbow lakes are also formed in the lower course of a river.

Question 9.
Where is wind erosion most predominant ?
Answer:
The wind erosion is most predominant in arid regions. Since there is little vegetation or moisture to bind the loose surface materials, the effects of wind erosion are more pronounced in the desert region.

Question 10.
What are known as Deflation Hollows ?
Answer:
Deflation Hollows : Deflation involves the lifting as well as the blowing away of loose materials from the ground. The sands and pebbles are carried in the air or driven along the ground. The finer dust and sands may be deposited even outside the desert margins. Deflation results in the lowering of the land surface to create depressions called deflation hollows.

Question 11.
Name one chief landform of wind deposition ?
Answer:
Hamada is the hard bedrock exposed after sweeping away of the dust and sand by the wind.

Question 12.
Name two chief types of sand dunes.
Answer:
The following two types of sand dunes are seen

Barchan : These are moon-shaped dunes. They are live dunes which advance steadily before winds that blow from a particular direction. They are found in the deserts of the Sahara. These are initially formed by an accumulation of sand at an obstacle, such as a heap of rocks. These occurs transversely to the wind, so that their horns thin out and become lower in the direction of the wind.
Longitudinal Dunes or Seifs : These are long and narrow sand-ridges which grow parallel to the direction of the prevailing wind. They are found in the interior parts of deserts. In the Libyan desert, they are known as Seifs (means ‘sword’ in Arabic). In the Thar Desert they are confined to the western margin, where the force of south-west monsoon influences their formation. An important feature of such a dune is that in its crest line there are rise and fall patterns. Seifs are found in the Sahara, Iran, Thar Desert (India) and West Australia. These sand dunes are stationary and they remain in a fixed position.

Question 13.
State three chief characteristics of barchans.
Answer:

Barchans are moon-shaped dunes. They are live dunes which advance steadily before winds that blow from a particular direction.
They occurs transversely to the wind, so that their horns thin out and become lower in the direction of the wind.
The windward side is convex and gently-sloping while the leeward side (being sheltered) is concave and steep.

II. Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Briefly describe the factors which affect the work of a river.
Answer:
Various factors affect erosion, transportation and deposition work of a river. Important factors include the following :

Velocity of water : Erosion and transportation are both maximum when velocity is high. Deposition, on the other hand takes place when velocity of water is low.
Volume of water : The larger the volume of water, the greater is the power of erosion and transportation. Deposition, on the other hand, takes place better when there is reduced volume of water as well as when the load is greater.
Load : Load is the material transported by a river. The load of a river, does all the work of erosion and deposition. Mass wasting, deepening of river valleys and formation of landforms depend on the load a river carries.

Question 2.
Describe chief landforms of river deposition.
Answer:

The cheif landforms resulting from the deposition of a river are the following :

V-shaped Valleys : It is formed from a stream eroding downward, through a process, called down cutting. These valleys are formed in the initial stages of rivers and have steep slopes.
I-shaped Valley : In regions of hard rocks it develops almost vertically in an I-shape. River valleys are normally formed in areas of sufficient rainfall and where rocks are not very hard or resistant.

Question 3.
Write a short note on the three stages of a river.
Answer:
From the source to its mouth, a river is divided into three main sections – Upper Course, Middle Course and Lower Course. These three sections are also called the Profile of a River.

Upper Course – In the upper course the dominant activity of a river is erosion. Many land forms are shaped by this activity of the river. Along its course, it erodes bed and banks, and carries large boulders of rock with it. Under the impact of rush of water.
Middle Course – At this stage, the gradient is reduced, and the river flows more slowly. The middle course of the river begins when it leaves the mountains area and enters the plains. In the middle course the energy required to transport the materials is just enough to drag large particles. Fine particles remain suspended in water, large particles are just dragged along the bed of the river and smaller ones are rolled down in the centre. The river also gets windened as a result of great volume of water and the impact of the load.
Lower Course – The river divides itself into many distributaries. These distributaries are also subdivided into mini-distributaries. This is due to depsoition of sediments over a large area near the mouth of rivers. Such sedimentation occurs on the sides of the stream, at the mouth, in the front part as well as in the bed of the river. The deposition over a large area results in a triangular-shaped formation called delta. It resembles the Greek letter A The Ganga -Brahmaputra delta is growing towards the sea. It is also one of the largest in the world. Oxbow lakes are also formed in the lower course of a river.

Question 4.
Describe the work of wind erosion and state two important landforms of wind erosion.
Answer:
Winds move along the desert floors with great speed and the obstructions in their path create turbulence. Storm winds are formed which are very destructive. Winds cause deflation, abrasion and impact. Deflation includes lifting and removal of dust and smaller particles from the surface of the rocks. The impact is the simply the shear force of momentum which occurs when sand is blown into or against a rock surface. These are the ways in which wind action creates a number of interesting erosional and depositional features in the deserts.
Winds are not the only agent responsible for the erosional features of the deserts. Along with winds the running water is also important for this.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Hydrosphere

November 10, 2023May 20, 2022 by Raju

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Hydrosphere

ICSE Solutions Selina ICSE Solutions ML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

I. Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Name the three ways in which movement of ocean water takes place.
Answer:
Oceanic water movement is affected by the rotation of the earth e.g. earth’s movement from west to east compels water to move from east to west as North and South equatorial current along with a contour equatorial current. Secondly, the direction of planetary winds motivates currents as the trade winds push forcefully towards polewards and afterwards by the Westerlies towards North East as warm currents touching North American eastern and European Western coast. Thirdly, the level of salinity makes the water to move less saline water to move saline water.

Question 2.
What are tides ? Name one factor that causes tides.
Answer:
Tides are the rise and fall of sea water due to gravitational forces of the sun and the moon. Tides are mainly caused by the centrifugal and centripetal forces of the earth and the moon.

Question 3.
What is the time interval between tides ? Name the factors responsible for this time interval ?
Answer:
On account of the continuous rotation of the earth and revolution of the moon around the earth, whenever the moon comes in the front of the earth, tide takes place at an interval of 24 hours and 52 minutes and at the same time on the opposite side of the earth the interval is of 12 hours and 26 minutes.

Question 4.
What are Spring and Neap tides ?
Answer:
When the gravitational forces of the sun and the moon work together to attract the earth due to being in a straight line, high tides or Spring tides are caused. When the sun and the moon are in right angle with respect to the earth, Neap tides or low tides are caused.

Question 5.
Name two types of ocean currents based on their temperature.
Answer:
There are two types of ocean currents e.g., warm and cold currents. The current which flows from warm tropical region to cooler temperate and polar region is called warm current and the current flowing from polar areas towards temperate and equational regions is called cold current, e.g. Gulf stream is a warm current and Labrador current is called cold current.

Question 6.
For what is the Gulf Stream famous?
Answer:
The Gulf Stream is a powerful warm ocean current affecting the climate of eastern coast of North America and western coast of Europe and it is an important source of tidal energy.

Question 7.
What happens when warm and cold currents meet ?
Answer:
By meeting the warm and cold currents, large amount of fog is created, which controls the temperature conditions in the fishing regions of the meeting grounds.

Question 8.
What is meant by ‘salinity’ of ocean water ?
Answer:
Salinity is the amount of sodium in the oceanic water. It is 35%.

Question 9.
Name the factors responsible for subsurface movement of ocean waters.
Answer:
The factors responsible for ocean currents are the rotation of the earth, difference in salinity, temperature and the prevailing winds.

Question 10.
State the relationship between temperature and density of ocean water.
Answer:
High temperature near the equatorial belt and landlocked seas leads to higher salinity or higher density of ocean water.

Question 11.
State one difference between waves and tides.
Answer:
Waves are the oscillatory (to and fro) movements in the oceanic water, but tides are particular turbulent motion of the oceanic water due to gravitational forces (centrifugal and centripital) working together with the earth and the moon which makes the waves of the ocean jumping upto several metres resulting in a typical phenomenon of violent waves i.e. tides.

Question 12.
How do evaporation and precipitation cause movement of ocean water.
Answer:
High amount of evaporation increases salinity of oceapic water and excess of precipitation makes water less saline. So the heavy saline water sinks down and the lighter water flows towards it to take its place as ocean current.

Question 13.
How is the rotation of the earth responsible for influencing the direction of currents ?
Answer:
The earth rotates from west to east. So, according to the first Law of Motion, the ocean currents start to flow from east to west as opposite direction, e.g. the North and South Equatorial currents flow from east to west.

Question 14.
Name the factors originating within the sea which cause ocean currents.
Answer:
The amount of salinity in the oceans in different parts is quite different. So the more saline water start to sink downwards and the less saline water runs to take its place on the surface, e.g., the ocean current flows from Atlantic ocean towards the Mediterranean sea.

II. Give reasons for the following

Question 1.
There are two high and two low tides in a day.
Answer:
The rotation of the Earth results in every meridian coming into the position of two high tides and two low tides very nearly every 24 hours.

Question 2.
Each day a tide is delayed by 26 minutes.
Answer:
Each day a tide is delayed by 26 minutes because the moon also rotates on its axis (west to east) while revolving round the earth. Since the earth rotates from west to east, the tide centre shifts westward. When the tide centre completes one round, the moon’s position is ahead of the tide centre by that time. The moon also revolves round the earth, with the result, the tide centre takes another 52 minutes to come under the moon. Thus, a particular tide centre takes 24 hours 52 minutes to come under the moon but by that time there is another tide at the opposite side of the referred tide centre and this happens after 12 hours 26 minutes.

Question 3.
Warm currents produce a milder climate.
Answer:
Warm currents of Gulf Stream has made the climate of eastern North America and Western Europe mild and pleasant for ideal industrial life and developed oceanic routes for trade. In the same way warm Kurosio current has made Japan a progressive country by leading in fishing occupation supporting the economy of Japan, Apart from this violent storms also follow the meeting places of warm and cold currents, e.g., Hurricanes in America and typhoons in China and Japan.

Question 4.
The eastern coasts of USA are comparatively cold.
Answer:
Due to the cooling effect of Labrador current keeps these coasts comparatively cold.

Question 5.
The waters of the Oyashio Current form the richest fishing grounds in the world.
Answer:
Due to meeting with warm Kurosio current creates large amount of fog regulating the ideal temperature for fish and the remarkable efforts of Japanese for fishing occupation makes this region the leading fishing grounds of the world.

Question 6.
There is heavy rainfall in Queensland but the Atacama desert is arid.
Answer:
Queensland’s coast is touched by the warm east Australian current and gets heavy rainfall by trade winds from sea towards land, but Atacama desert is touched by cold Peruvian current and the westerlies blowing from land towards sea make Atacama the cold driest desert in the world.

Question 7.
The coasts of Norway are not frozen in winter whereas its adjoining coasts are frozen for most parts of the year.
Answer:
The Western coast of Norway are not frozen in winter due to the warm effect of Gulf Stream or the North Atlantic Drift touching the coast.

Question 8.
Rich fishing grounds are located on the Pacific coast of North America.
Answer:
The Pacific coast of North America affected by the warm Kurosio current are the famous fishing grounds of salmon fish mainly shared by Canada.

III. Long Answer Questions

PQ. Differentiate between the three movements of ocean water-waves, tides and currents.
Answer:
Waves are oscillatory movement in water, manifested by an alternate rise and fall of the sea surface. Every wave has a wavelength, velocity, height and wave period. The rise and fall of sea water due to gravitational forces of the sun and the moon are called tides. The sea waves produced by tides are called tidal waves. Ocean currents are large masses of surface water that circulate in regular patterns around the ocean. It is of two types warm and the cold.

Question 1.
Discuss the origin of tides. Illustrate the formation of Spring Tides.
Answer:
The tides have their origin in the gravitational forces of the sun and the moon. The earth rotates from west to east and revolves round the sun following an elliptical orbit. Similarly, the moon, rotates from west to east and revolves round the earth along an elliptical orbit.
Spring Tides : Very high tides are caused when the sun and the moon and the earth are almost in the same line. Such high tides are called Spring Tides. The gravitational forces of the sun and the moon work together with combined force and thus a high tide is caused. The height of such Spring Tides is 20 per cent more than that of the normal tides. Such tides take place twice every month (during the full moon and the new moon) and their timing is fixed.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography Chapter 11 Hydrosphere 1

Question 2.
Differentiate between High Tides and Low Tides.
Answer:
High Tides :

When the sun and the earth and the moon are in the same line.
Caused when all the gravitational forces work together.
Occurs at the time of Full moon and new moon.

Low Tides :

When the sun and the earth and the moon are at the position of right angles.
Caused when the gravitational forces of the sun work against each other.
Occurs during the 8th day of each fortnight of a month.

Question 3.
Describing the types of ocean currents, state and factors responsible for causing the currents.
Answer:
Ocean currents are warm and cold according to the temperature. Ocean currents are caused by the rotation of the earth, force of prevailing winds, amount of salinity and the presence of the continental ejections etc.

Question 4.
Describe the circulation pattern of the following three ocean currents.

(a) Labrador Current of the Atlantic Ocean.
(b) The Kuroshio current
(c) Oyashio Current of the Pacific Ocean.
(d) The North Atlantic Drift.

Answer:

(a) Labrador Current originates from the Arctic ocean along the coast of Labrador and passes touching Newfoundland continuing southwards along the coast of Nova Scotia. It is joined by West Greenland and Baffin Island Current. It meets the warm Gulf Stream Current at the Grand Banks, making this region the famous fishing bank.
(b) The Kuroshio current – is a strong western boundary current in the western north Pacific Ocean. It begins off the east coast of Taiwan and flows north-eastward past Japan, where it merges with the easterly drift of the North Pacific Current. It is analogous to the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, transporting warm, tropical water northward towards the polar region. It is also sometimes known as the Black Stream — the English translation of Kuroshio, and an allusion to the deep blue of its water — and also as the Japan Current.
(c) Oyashio Current is a cold current colliding with warm Kuroshio current along the eastern coast of Japan. It originates in the Arctic ocean and passes through the Bering strait proceeding towards south.
(d) The North Atlantic Drift : It is the eastern extension of Gulf Stream to Europe as a warm current.

Question 5.
Trace the origin and flow of the Gulf Stream. What is the effect of this current on the coasts of North America and Western Europe ?
Answer:
Gulf Stream – The Gulf Stream is one of the largest warm currents. It originates from the Gulf of Mexico (about 20°N) and moves in a north-easterly direction along the eastern coast of North America. The average speed is about 33 km per day and its average width is -about 70 km. Under the impact of the Westerlies, this warm current reaches the western coast of Europe (about 70°N latitude). The general direction of flow of the Gulf Stream, north of 30° N latitude, is northward. Near Newfoundland, its water mixes with the cold water of the Labrador Current, which forms very dense fog. The foggy conditions around Newfoundland hamper the navigation of ships. From here, the Gulf Stream moves north eastwards. This current gradually widens and its speed decreases. It becomes a prominent, slow-moving current known as the North Atlantic Driff. Near western Europe, it splits into two parts. One part moves northwards, past UK and Norway, while the other part is deflected southwards as the cold Canary Current. The warm water of the Gulf Stream modifies the weather conditions off the eastern coast of North America and the western coast of Europe.

Question 6.
Describe four major effects of currents.
Answer:
Major effects of currents are visualised by the distinct effect of the Worm Gulf Stream on the climate of eastern. North . American region and the western region of Europe and the oceanic trade routes joining the most industrialised regions of the world. On the other hand cold current of Benguela keeps the South African Western Coast mild and cool. Kurosio warm current keeps the eastern coast of Japan ideal for fishing.